The U.S. and Pakistan reaffirm their long-standing friendship. (includes a joint statement)(Pres. Bill Clinton; Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Apr. 11, 1995)(Transcript)

President Clinton. Please be seated. Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure for me to welcome Prime Minister Bhutto to the White House. I am especially pleased to host her today because of the tremendous hospitality that the Prime Minister and the Pakistani people showed to the First Lady and to Chelsea on their recent trip.

I have heard a great deal about the visit - about the people they met, their warm welcome at the Prime Minister's home, and about the dinner the Prime Minister gave in their honor. The food was marvelous, they said, but it was the thousands of tiny oil lamps that lit the paths outside the Red Fort in Lahore that really gave the evening its magical air. I regret that here at the White House I can match that only with the magic of the bright television lights.

Today's meeting reaffirms the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and the United States. It goes back to Pakistan's independence. At the time, Pakistan was an experiment in blending the ideals of a young democracy with the traditions of Islam. In the words of Pakistan's first President, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Islam and its idealism have taught us democracy. It has taught us the equality of man, justice, and fair play to everybody. We are the inheritors of the glorious traditions; and are fully alive to our responsibilities and obligations. Today, Pakistan is pursuing these goals of combining the practice of Islam with the realities of democratic ideals, moderation, and tolerance.

At our meetings today, the Prime Minister and I focused on security issues that affect Pakistan; its neighbor, India; and the entire South Asian region. The United States recognizes and respects Pakistan's security concerns. Our close relationship with Pakistan is matched with growing ties with India. Both countries are friends of the United States, and, contrary to some views, I believe it is possible for the United States to maintain close relations with both countries.

I told the Prime …